2014-01-13

A Few Updates

  • Humanism: Added two paragraphs to section "5. The Basis of Humanism's Morals and Charitable Work by Humanists".

  • Hinduism: Added some text on the Numbers of Hindus Around the World (section #1). There are 3 countries that are mostly Hindu, Nepal (81%), India (80%) and Mauritius (56%). On average, compared to the rest of the world, those 3 countries have average life expectancy (70yrs), a slower fertility rate (2.25), are much poorer than other countries, and are poor places for gender equality. However, they do well on LGBT rights where the world average is -7.3 but those 3 countries' average score is 0 (zero) (using values derived from my Social and Moral Development Index).

  • Faith Schools, Sectarian Education and Segregation: Divisive Religious Behavior: Added Section "5.3: Sneaky Selection Criteria Continues to be Widespread, Making Themselves Look Good at the Expense of the Poor". Religious schools have 10-61% fewer poorer students than other schools, artificially boosting their league table rankings. And added a datum to section "9. Experts are Against Faith Schools": Aside from experts, the British public themselves are highly suspicious of schools that divide children by their religion. In 2005 a poll found that 64% thought that the government should not be funding faith schools at all36, and, many thought that faith schools should be illegal. In 2013 it was reported again that polls reveal "a majority of people in Great Britain are against Government funding of faith schools". (References exist in the text on the page).

  • The Christian Institute: A UK Political Lobbying Organisation: Updated section 2.2 on Christian B&B Couple Peter and Hazelmary Bull, as the Christian Institute (UK) continued to fight the latest of their failed anti-gay-rights cases through successive courts. As expected, they lost the case yet again, for the same reasons that they have lost their others.

  • Christian Mythology: Adam and Eve, and the Serpent, in the Garden of Eden: I've rewritten the opening paragraph, putting the story of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden into the context of the multitude of similar Mesopotamian myths, moved a few sections around, and rewritten the section that was called "Reconciling Adam and Eve with Science" and renamed it "Evolution and the Origin of the Species".